Burundi, October 2004
Waves from the clear and deep
Lake Tanganyika surge the shore outside Bujumbura, Burundi´s capital. Cattle is
driven down to drink in the heat and fishermen sit on the beach and clean their
nets. With the small boats, their catch is meager and one day´s work brings
only a few dollars.
Deo Rurihafi, fisherman (in Kirundi)
-It can even be less than that,
sometimes we only get 500 (Burundi francs, about USD 0,5) for a days catch. The
nets are bad.
An overwhelming majority lives
under the powerty limit of one dollar a day and for them, democracy and the
upcoming elections mean little.
Deo Rurihafi, fisherman (in Kirundi)
-We don´t think elections will
bring anything to us. Elections are for those who have been to school...
Burundi, little and very poor,
has been paralyzed by violence since independence in 1962. More than
threehundred thousands people have been killed in ethnically manipulated
tensions between Hutus and the minority Tutsies and near a million have been
forced to flee.
In Kinama, at the outskirts of
Bujumbura, only Hutus live. The Tutsies have fled and houses stand empty. In
spite of a peace-process going on for over three years, sporadic fighting occur
close.
Mary Bukiranyeye, woman (in Kirundi)
-Yes, we are afraid. Every night
we cannot sleep because we hear guns shooting.
FNL, the only guerilla movement
who haven´t agreed to the peace-process, is based not far away and together
with high criminality because of lack of police, unsecurity is high for all.
Augustin tries to support his
family by selling banana wine and they rent the house from a Tutsie. Themselves
beeing Hutus, they try to overcome fear of attacks from the other group.
Augustin Ntahonkuriye (in Kirundi)
-The problem is the fear we have
got in our hearts. But they can come back, we are going to live together again.
High up on the inland plateau in
central Burundi is one of eleven assembly areas for the former combattants.
From officially 35.000 rebels, 20.000 are encamped in the country. A proof that
the peace process gives result.
Merkisedeke Niyirema, soldier CNDD-FDD (in Kirundi)
-Fighting is not a solution any
more. If it was, we would not be here.
Most here have had family members
killed in massacres by the former army and even the young rebels here have been
fighting for many years.
Innocent Hitimana, young soldier
CNDD-FDD (in
Kirundi)
-I became a soldier because of
the war. If there was a way for me to go back to school, I would like to.
But the 1.500 ex-combattants have
been here close to a whole year without pay. Food is bad, malaria and diseases
are common and they sleep in simple grass huts exposed to cold in the night.
Merkisedeke Niyirema, soldier CNDD-FDD (in Kirundi)
-Yes, we built it ourselves...
you see how it looks with this old tent as a roof.
Soldiers from the new integrated
army guard the camp. The ex-combattants have handed in their weapons but so far
the demobilisation process hasn´t started.
Tade Ndikumana, Camp Commander
Colonel CNDD-FDD (in French)
-Of course we are frustrated
about this situation because the government doesn´t do anything. We do nothing
here and if we were demobilized we could work or if we were reintegrated in the
new army we would get the same advantage as them.
Burundi is paralyzed by deep
political cleavages. To finally agree upon a peace deal has required heavy
pressure from abroad.
Nureldin Satti, Deputy Special
Representative of the Secretary General
-Pressure, yes, we are doing it
as the UN but also within an concerted effort also with other partners in the
international community, especially with the region and the facilitation of the
Burundi peace process.
Independent radio is very
important, beeing the primary source of information. By open discussions and
unpartial news, civil society has been strengthened.
Alexis Sinduhiye, Editor in
chief, Radio Publique Africaine
-The politicians are not very
influential any more. They don´t have the power to manipulate now because there
are independent media.
Radio RPA, as well as the other
independent stations, steadily increase their listeners and also the
govenmental radio and tv has improved journalistically. This has opened up the
political climate but still, certain politicians do all they can to cling to
power by trying to increase ethnical tensions.
Alexis Sinduhiye, Editor in
chief, Radio Publique Africaine
-Clean people are scared to go
inte politics and the dirty ones are there and that is why they are playing
these ethnicity games.
In the evenings, drum bands
practice in the dilapidated stadium of Bujumbura, and soccer is played. Last
elections in 1993 ended in a military coup and ethnical mass-murder. Now a long
peace process have paved the way for new elections among most groups.
Nureldin Satti, Deputy Special
Representative of the Secretary General
-I think the major difference is
now these elections are coming as a result of a wide process of consultation
and a wide process of reconciliation.
But little Burundi with 8 million
people can hardly afford costs for elections. The whole government expenditure
is less than 150 million dollars. Reforms have slightly improved the politics,
the judiciary, the military and the economy. But there is still a long way
until people can trust a new government.
Alexis Sinduhiye, Editor in
chief, Radio Publique Africaine
-If they can just organize the
state to be run like a state that will be the first and number one thing to
give hope to the people.
In the heat, training produces
sweat at ”Camp Espoir”, Camp of Hope. 2000 men from the former army and rebel
movements train together to build the new integrated Burundian army.
Charles Ndayizeiye, Colonel Joint
Burundian Army (in French)
-After one month of training here
in this mission they will be ready to fight together under one single command.
A National Commission for
Demobilisation and Reintegration oversees the process of disarmament of all
combattants, paid for by the World Bank. As the result a new Burundian Army
half the size of today shall be created equally composed of former rebels and
army soldiers. Even from the beginning they had to share tents.
Pascal Ntioyare, ex soldier
Burundian army (in Kirundi)
-We don´t come from the same
army. There are som here in this tent from the former Burundian army and some
from the rebellion.
The camp received new kitchens
and generators from the European Union on the condition that the ethnical
composition of the new army better represents that of the population. A demand
that also aggravates ethnical considerations.
Charles Ndayizeiye, Colonel Joint
Burundian Army (in French)
-We shouldn´t need to consider
about ethnicity. If we could get all ethnicities into this army who are able
and willing, that would be the best for me.
Guards close outside of the camp
watch out for FNL, the small movement still fighting. FNL is aligned with
groups in neighbouring DRC and can still cause harm.
Jackson Nahaye, ex
FDD-combattant (in kirundi)
-A few times they tried to attack
the camp but we were here waiting for them.
Certain political-ethnical groups
risk loosing power and influence. They do anything they can to raise ethnical
tensions and hence stop the fortcoming elections.
‘
Jackson Nahaye, ex
FDD-combattant (in kirundi)
-These days the politicians have
been discussing about the new constitution and we became afraid because their
opinions were seriously opposed. It seemed that each party wanted his own
constitution.
UN forces in Burundi have a
peace-keeping mandate which gives the right to use military means to protect
civilians. Strength is now close to the mandate of 5600 troops. But the UN
gross failure of 1994 in neighbouring Rwanda, makes the Burundians doubtful.
Charles Ndayizeiye, Colonel Joint
Burundian Army (in French)
-If violence escalates and the UN
is here... we just hope they will do what they are supposed to.
Nureldin Satti, Deputy Special
Representative of the Secretary General
-If there is an outbreak of
violence of course our forces are expected to play their role according to the
mandate of the force.
Anyhow, increasing stability in
spite of uncertainty regarding the upcoming elections, has made lots of
refugees to return. Since 2002 more than 200.000 and increasing. Most come from
camps in neighbouring Tanzania.
Frederic Ndayiragiye, returnee
from Tanzania (in Kirundi)
-When we fled I closed my house
and everything was ok. But you can see how it looks now when we are back.
The family came back this autumn
after having spent ten years in Tanzania. Their son got married there and had a
child.
Margaretha Kampamye, returnee
from Tanzania (in Kirundi)
-The conditions were bad (in
Tanzania) and we didn´t have enough food. When some Burundian leaders came to
tell us that we are recovering peace, we decided to go back home to Burundi.
The family is Hutu, and some of
their Tutsie neighbours are back. But close to one million still live in
displacement camps scattered all over Burundi.
Margaretha Kampamye, returnee
from Tanzania (in Kirundi)
-There are some (tutsies) in the
displaced´s area over there.
-Yes, we have good relations with
them. When some walk up here they say “Oh Margaret, you came back! You are
welcome!”
More than a quarter of a million
Burundians are waiting in Tanzania. The UNHCR expects about another 150.000 to
return this year.
David Short, UNHCR
-People are confident that the
peace-process is working and will continue to work. When people are voting in
such big numbers with their feet, then it´s a positive sign.
Drums, singing and dancing in the
church in Karuzi, in the middle of Burundi. Hutus and Tutsies pray together and
nobody care about ethnicity. The difference towards the newly returnees is
bigger.
Salvator Cubwa, program
coordinator, Actionaid Karuzi
-Some of them have many years
outside in foreign countries and they need / integration with other people who
didn´t move.
Some of them receive a little
help-package, but most return to misery in the overpopulated country, almost to
starvation.
Pio Ndayishimiye, returnee from
Tanzania (in Kirundi)
-I´m happy to be back here but I
don´t know how we will be able to pay something to cover the house. I used all
money I had to build it. If this falls down in the rainy season I have no means
to build another.
Actionaid, one of many
humanitarian organizations, hands out tools enabling people to support
themselves and to make a living. Burundi needs conditions to develop it´s
economy and ease the dependence of agriculture. This process can be fast if
stability continues. The whole peace-process has been driven forward by
longtime efforts by the region, especially South Africa and shows a willingness
by African countries to create common security.
Nureldin Satti, Deputy Special
Representative of the Secretary General
-If these elections take place in
the way we wish they will, then they certainly will contribute to the peace and
stability in the region.
But not the least, the people
themselves need to be convinced. The dark past of the country still lingers in
the memory of most Burundians.
Pio Ndayishimiye, returnee from
Tanzania (in Kirundi)
-I do not want again to be forced
to flee because of war. What I want is to have peaceful elections and to live
together again in peace. But if those elections will make me flee again, then
it´s better not to hold them at all.